'Truth spoken without moderation reverses itself'
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Saturday, August 12, 2017

NB: This is India, 70 years after Independence, whose government takes special pride in patriotic zeal. There is is ample evidence that the tragic deaths of over 70 children was due to oxygen deprivation; yet government officials are denying that oxygen had anything to do with it. Those obsessed with their 'image' treat even the most tragic reality as a political football, then tell others not to 'politicise it'. What would the BJP have said had this occurred under another government? This is criminal negligence on the part of a vicious and inept government more concerned with protecting cow vigilantes from police action than with the lives of hospital patients. As this writer says: What is the use of a magisterial enquiry? What can the magistrate even do, bring the children back to life? For sheer brutal incompetence and indifference to human life, this is a world record. Granted that the children come from modest backgrounds and their parents have no clout. They can be told, "here take the bodies home. We are so sorry, but don't make a fuss, yeh hotha hai."DSImages of the tragedy (Indian Express)UP health minister Siddharth Nath Singh says death of infants is unfortunate

Oxygen supply to resume tonight after Adityanath govt makes partial payment
The supply of oxygen to a tragedy-struck Gorakhpur hospital will resume on Saturday night after the government-run institution partially cleared its dues, following nationwide outrage over the deaths of 30 children allegedly of lack of oxygen. Officials at Lucknow-based Pushpa Sales, the biggest of three oxygen suppliers to Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur, said a truck full of oxygen cylinders would reach the hospital by night and that Rs 21 lakh had been credited to the firm.
The company – which was the only one supplying liquid oxygen to the hospital -- allegedly cut off supplies on August 1 after authorities defaulted on payment of Rs 68 lakh... read more:http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gorakhpur-hospital-deaths-oxygen-supply-to-resume-tonight-after-adityanath-govt-makes-partial-payment/story-Vs2YKyZPcolaKfnkqJhdGK.htmlClear dues or we stop oxygen supply: Gas company’s Aug 8 letter to Gorakhpur BRD Medical college

Gorakhpur District
Magistrate Rajeev Rautela said: “No death in BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur,
has taken place due to shortage of oxygen supply. Only seven deaths have taken
place at the BRD Medical College today and these were due to different medical
reasons.” “As far as the
complaint regarding non-payment of dues to the company supplying the oxygen is
concerned, it is a matter of inquiry. But there was existing alternative
arrangement of 50 oxygen cylinders which was being used, so there was no
shortage of oxygen,” he said. The government denied that any of
the deaths had been caused due to shortage of oxygen since the hospital had
made arrangements.

When it comes to
public spending on healthcare, India lags behind abysmally. Research by medical
journal Lancetshowed that India ranked 154 out of 195 countries
in terms of healthcare access, far behind countries like Bangladesh, Nepal,
Ghana and Liberia. India spends only 5 percent of its GDP on public healthcare
while China spends 10.4 percent of its budget on healthcare. India is even
superseded by Uzbekistan (10.7 percent), Tanzania (12.3) percent, Kenya (12.8
percent), and Nicaragua (24 percent).